Amendments Z and Y are the culmination of an extended effort to address gerrymandering in our state. At one point two different groups had dueling proposals, but the two sides each made compromises and joined forces. Amendments Y and Z were approved unanimously in both houses of the Colorado General Assembly.
Every ten years after the federal census, Colorado draws new legislative districts. The General Assembly has 65 House districts and 35 Senate districts.
Currently, the Colorado Reapportionment Commission draws the legislative districts. The governor, legislative leaders and the chief justice of the CO supreme court appoint the 11 members of the commission. Up to 6 of the 11 members may be affiliated with the same political party.
Amendment Z, like Amendment Y, would establish a 12-member citizen commission to draw congressional districts. The commission would be comprised of 4 members from each of the two largest political parties and 4 citizens who are unaffiliated. An emphasis on representation from all the current congressional districts is present throughout the commissioner selection and public hearing process. A person could not serve on both the congressional and the legislative redistricting commissions.
Much of the Senate Concurrent Resolution to put Amendment Z on the ballot details the multi-step process for determining the commissioners. Individuals wishing to serve on the commission would submit a public application. After verifying that applicants meet the stated qualifications – such as not being a paid lobbyist – 300 names would be chosen randomly for each political party and 450 names of unaffiliated voters. A panel of three retired high-level CO judges would choose 50 candidates from each of the three groups, based on criteria such as being a good team player and having the ability to advocate. Half of the commission will be chosen by lot, 2 from each political party group. The majority and minority leaders in each house of the General Assembly would each nominate 10 names from the original applicant pool, and the panel of judges would choose one name from each legislative leader’s list, as well as two more unaffiliated citizens, to fill out the 12-member redistricting commission.
Nonpartisan commission staff would draw a preliminary redistricting map. Members of the public could also submit maps and provide testimony at the minimum 21 public hearings held across the state. At least 8 of the 12 commissioners would have to approve the final map. If no map gets such approval, a staff map would be submitted to the CO Supreme Court for review.
Recommendation: yes/for
Some people don’t think that Colorado, as a purple state, has a gerrymandering problem. Colorado is fairly well balanced in its congressional delegation and in both houses of the General Assembly. However, only a few of the districts are actually competitive. One of the criteria in Amendment Z, albeit low on the priority list, is to maximize politically competitive districts.
Having government leaders appoint members of the congressional redistricting commission is a much less cumbersome process than the one proposed in Amendment Z. The selection criteria in Amendment Z will restrict members of the commission to those who have had limited recent involvement in the partisan political process. Additionally, the four unaffiliated commissioners could present a wild card to the process.
In 2010 California used a similar selection process to name the members of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission and received 30,000 applicants. I’m skeptical that Colorado will receive 1,050 qualified applicants. I hope to be proven wrong.
Website for the Yes Side – Fair Maps Colorado
https://fairmapscolorado.com/
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opponents’ website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
Amendment Z (CONSTITUTIONAL)
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning a change to the manner in which state senate and state house of representatives districts are drawn, and, in connection therewith, reforming the existing legislative reapportionment commission by expanding the commission to twelve members and authorizing the appointment of members who possess specified qualifications; prohibiting any one political party's control of the commission by requiring that one-third of commissioners will not be affiliated with any political party, one-third of the commissioners will be affiliated with the state's largest political party, and one-third of the commissioners will be affiliated with the state's second largest political party; prohibiting certain persons, including professional lobbyists, federal campaign committee employees, and federal, state, and local elected officials, from serving on the commission; limiting judicial review of a map to a determination by the supreme court of whether the commission or its nonpartisan staff committed an abuse of discretion; requiring the commission to draw state legislative districts using communities of interest as well as political subdivisions, such as cities and counties, and then to maximize the number of competitive state legislative seats to the extent possible; and prohibiting maps from being drawn to dilute the electoral influence of any racial or ethnic group or to protect any incumbent, any political candidate, or any political party?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
SCR 18-005 to refer Amendment Z to the voters
http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/initiative%2520referendum_zfinal.pdf
Every ten years after the federal census, Colorado draws new legislative districts. The General Assembly has 65 House districts and 35 Senate districts.
Currently, the Colorado Reapportionment Commission draws the legislative districts. The governor, legislative leaders and the chief justice of the CO supreme court appoint the 11 members of the commission. Up to 6 of the 11 members may be affiliated with the same political party.
Amendment Z, like Amendment Y, would establish a 12-member citizen commission to draw congressional districts. The commission would be comprised of 4 members from each of the two largest political parties and 4 citizens who are unaffiliated. An emphasis on representation from all the current congressional districts is present throughout the commissioner selection and public hearing process. A person could not serve on both the congressional and the legislative redistricting commissions.
Much of the Senate Concurrent Resolution to put Amendment Z on the ballot details the multi-step process for determining the commissioners. Individuals wishing to serve on the commission would submit a public application. After verifying that applicants meet the stated qualifications – such as not being a paid lobbyist – 300 names would be chosen randomly for each political party and 450 names of unaffiliated voters. A panel of three retired high-level CO judges would choose 50 candidates from each of the three groups, based on criteria such as being a good team player and having the ability to advocate. Half of the commission will be chosen by lot, 2 from each political party group. The majority and minority leaders in each house of the General Assembly would each nominate 10 names from the original applicant pool, and the panel of judges would choose one name from each legislative leader’s list, as well as two more unaffiliated citizens, to fill out the 12-member redistricting commission.
Nonpartisan commission staff would draw a preliminary redistricting map. Members of the public could also submit maps and provide testimony at the minimum 21 public hearings held across the state. At least 8 of the 12 commissioners would have to approve the final map. If no map gets such approval, a staff map would be submitted to the CO Supreme Court for review.
Recommendation: yes/for
Some people don’t think that Colorado, as a purple state, has a gerrymandering problem. Colorado is fairly well balanced in its congressional delegation and in both houses of the General Assembly. However, only a few of the districts are actually competitive. One of the criteria in Amendment Z, albeit low on the priority list, is to maximize politically competitive districts.
Having government leaders appoint members of the congressional redistricting commission is a much less cumbersome process than the one proposed in Amendment Z. The selection criteria in Amendment Z will restrict members of the commission to those who have had limited recent involvement in the partisan political process. Additionally, the four unaffiliated commissioners could present a wild card to the process.
In 2010 California used a similar selection process to name the members of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission and received 30,000 applicants. I’m skeptical that Colorado will receive 1,050 qualified applicants. I hope to be proven wrong.
Website for the Yes Side – Fair Maps Colorado
https://fairmapscolorado.com/
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opponents’ website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
Amendment Z (CONSTITUTIONAL)
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning a change to the manner in which state senate and state house of representatives districts are drawn, and, in connection therewith, reforming the existing legislative reapportionment commission by expanding the commission to twelve members and authorizing the appointment of members who possess specified qualifications; prohibiting any one political party's control of the commission by requiring that one-third of commissioners will not be affiliated with any political party, one-third of the commissioners will be affiliated with the state's largest political party, and one-third of the commissioners will be affiliated with the state's second largest political party; prohibiting certain persons, including professional lobbyists, federal campaign committee employees, and federal, state, and local elected officials, from serving on the commission; limiting judicial review of a map to a determination by the supreme court of whether the commission or its nonpartisan staff committed an abuse of discretion; requiring the commission to draw state legislative districts using communities of interest as well as political subdivisions, such as cities and counties, and then to maximize the number of competitive state legislative seats to the extent possible; and prohibiting maps from being drawn to dilute the electoral influence of any racial or ethnic group or to protect any incumbent, any political candidate, or any political party?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
SCR 18-005 to refer Amendment Z to the voters
http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/initiative%2520referendum_zfinal.pdf
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